I intently watched her face as she continued sleeping.
After that eventful date, one way or another I returned with her to the castle.
After all she mustāve been considerably nervous. The moment she entered the room after changing clothes she lost consciousness.
āLidi!?ā
When I rushed to her who suddenly lost consciousness, her body was burning up. In a panic I called for Clara and had her bring the court physician exclusive to royalty, who diagnosed her with fever caused by fatigue.
āShe was scared, so itās only reasonable. Sheāll wake up naturally when she recovers. Until then itās most important to not disturb herā
I was relieved by the court physicianās words.
Lidi went as far as using neutralization magic to save me.
My chest tightens just by thinking something couldāve happened to her.
āIf she only has to sleep, sheāll be calmer in her own room. Iāll take her back homeā
I obstructed Alex as he tried to lift Lidi having said so.
When she wakes up, I want to be on her side.
No matter what her condition is, I hate being apart.
Perhaps he knew I had no intention of backing down no matter what he said.
While Iām at work I leave nursing to Clara, but aside from that I donāt leave her side for a moment.
When she wakes up, I hope sheāll look at me first.
She continues being fast asleep, although her fever has gone down, she shows no signs of waking up.
There are no abnormalities in her body so Iām not worried, even so I canāt help but wish sheād wake up soon.
āLidi, hurry up and wake upā
I stroked her hair while she slept in the bed in my bedroom.
The third morning since Lidi collapsed is approaching.
Iāve had no intention of sleeping.
When she wakes up I want to tell her good morning, and with Lidi in such a state Iām honestly not confident I could sleep. Rather than forcing myself to, Iām much more at ease intently watching her sleeping face.
Having put a chair on the bedside, I continued taking care of her as instructed by Clara.
Thatās how my current situation is, but Iāve gotten used to lack of sleep over years. There arenāt any particular problems at work. I finish it as soon as possible, only wanting to return to Lidiās side.
Iāve said to Alex and others that Iāll talk about the assassins when Lidi wakes up.
When I gave a pretext that itās better to also hear her story as the person concerned, everybody nodded, but the real reason is her neutralization magic.
I donāt want to talk about it without her.
So when the assassins come up, the talk gets stuck there.
I donāt want to advance the talk without her knowledge.
I gave a brief report to Father, but I was allowed to provide the details on a later date.
ā⦠You were coolā
Recalling that time, I told Lidi softly.
Lidi jumped out in front of the flame art fired by the magician.
While I was so scared I was thinking my heart would stop, looking back Lidi told me āTrust meā, despite it being such a scene I could only watch her in fascination.
Due to that, the force I put into thrusting her away weakened.
She shook me off, and without any hesitation stuck out her hand, and extinguished the flames that rapidly approached.
I canāt forget the shock from that time.
Even if it was constructed by an inexperienced arts user, it was still a high grade flame art.
Even with my high aptitude for fire, I was prepared for not insignificant burns while suppressing it.
I thought it was a cheap price to pay for it to end.
And yet, she extinguished the flames in an instant.
They vanished with her shouting just a single word.
While I was awfully surprised, somewhere I was convinced.
After all just as I thought, sheās a neutralization user.
I donāt know why she kept it a secret until then, or why she felt like showing it this late.
Still, thereās no doubt both of us were saved thanks to her.
Incidentally, the witchās words crossed my mind.
āWhat youāre searching for is right byā
⦠So itās that kind of thing. Finally I understood the witchās words.
That wasnāt the witchās advice towards me, it was the message from the witch to notice quickly and safeguard her.
The witch cherishes her. Itās entirely possible.
And to inform me of that secret, it means I succeeded in obtaining the witchās trust.
I continued stroking her hair without getting tired of it.
Once again I thought back upon that time.
āāāā When everything ended and she came back in front of me, she crumbled down from relief.
In a hurry I held her in my arms, but if I think about it, itās a matter of course she collapsed.
I had forgotten, but despite looking like this sheās the only daughter of the preeminent ducal house.
Sheās the apple of Vivoir houseās eye.
Naturally sheās never been to a battlefield, she mustāve never encountered such a strife.
Moreover, even if I had no other way, I slayed all the enemies.
Itās unlikely thereās a woman who wouldnāt bat an eye when shown such a thing without any practice.
Even so she didnāt say she was scared even once.
She desperately grit her teeth, and endured behind me.
Itās not something anyone can do.
That behavior was remarkable.
Even if they were confident in being able to neutralize it, even an adult man who had received training would find it difficult to stand in front of that magical art.
And she accomplished that through sheer determination.
Even though in reality she was scared and her body trebled, she didnāt run away.
Because she wanted to save meāāāā.
āLidiā¦ā
I grasped her hand in my hands.
On her finger the ring I gifted her is glittering.
She did her best to save me, when she told me that I thought itās no good anymore.
How far will she go. How far will she make me fall for her.
Even though what I want is for her to fall for me.
Iām at my limit.
I always think Iām at my limit, and yet she always makes me fall deeper by her own hand.
Told such a thing and shown such a behavior ā Iād like to meet a man who wouldnāt fall for her.
Rather than being poorly confessed, I felt like I received something deeper.
Enough, I thought.
Itās my complete defeat. I canāt win against what she did.
I thought it doesnāt matter even if she canāt tell me she loves me yet.
Iāll wait forever.
Forever, until she decides itās okay.
Until she says it, Iāll just continue declaring my part.
I understand she has feelings for me more than enough.
Sheās given me more than that.
āI love you, Lidi. My mateā
At the day of that ball, by chance I met my only beloved.
Open your eyes soon.
Then, Iāll love you even more than until now.
I wonāt hand you to anybody else. I donāt want to hand over even a little of Lidi.
Everything, from the top of her head to the tips of her toenails, even strands of her hair, Lidi is all mine.
I know.
My love thatās turned towards only one person is surely too heavy to accept alone.
Still, my love is only directed at her.
āHurry up and let me hear your voice, look at me with those eyesā
Once again I strongly grasped her hand, and as if wishing dropped a kiss on her finger.
I gazed at her face.
Oh? I thought.
I felt like her eyelashes quivered.
āAhā¦ā
Itās not my imagination.
Her eyelashes quivered again, and she showed a fretful expression.
Before long, her closed eyelids gradually opened, and the beautiful violet eyes appeared.
After blinking, she slowly turned her face to me.
āFreed?ā
Her soft voice as she recognized me felt pleasant.
I could tell both my body and soul were satisfied hearing my belovedās voice calling me.
While enduring the feeling of wanting to cry, I told her.
ā⦠Good morning, Lidiā
āNn? Good morning?ā
Lidi didnāt understand the situation, still she returned the greeting.
Her puzzled expression is cute.
Itās just like Lidi. Was what I thought upon seeing it.
My beloved existence has finally recovered.
Smiling from the bottom of my heart, I pulled her towards myself⦠And strongly hugged her.